Today's large computing facility or telephone central office systems are generally constructed from several frames of equipment. Electrical functions or sub units are provided in increments of card files mounted within the frame. From time to time removal of Printed Circuit Board Assemblies (PCBA) is required to accomplish various functions. For example, an existing PCBA may be replaced by an improved version offering superior operating characteristics. Another example is replacement of a PCBA that has been diagnosed as defective. Insertion of the new PCBA must be preceded by removal of the old or existing PCBA.
Existing extraction tools have several negative side effects. First, use of existing extractor tools causes damage to the card file designation strips. Designation strips are used to denote which PCBA's are to be equipped in a given slot. Second, existing extraction tools are designed in a manner that exerts the applied removal force in a direction that opposes PCBA removal. Due to the existing tool design the PCBA is forced upward instead of outward. The tool works against the handle to remove the PCBA from the card file connector. As the force is applied upward, unnecessary force is exerted on the handle causing it to become loose. Also, existing tools cannot be used on PCBA's directly above the fuse panel. Lastly, some card file contains a built in card retainer made of mylar. Use of existing tools require manual deactivation or displacement of the mylar card retainer.
Therefore it is the objective of the present invention to provide an improved PCBA Extraction Tool. Such a new tool eliminates the negative side effects of PCBA removal while providing the basic removal function gracefully by its focus on providing proper force location and direction.